PANTRY CLEANING PART I – BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

Here at Papricannelle headquarters we’ve been planning a big change with Mr Husband for quite a few months now. I was reluctant to talk about it on the blog before because things were advancing so painfully slowly but now that the pace is picking up and our project is finally coming to life I feel I can let you in on our plans.

…[Drum rolls]… We are moving ! Well, we’re not only moving to a new house, or moving to a new neighborhood, or changing city or even moving to another country in Europe. We are changing continents! New continent, new country, new culture, even a new language for my daughter – okay, she’s already bilingual so I’m not worried at all, she’ll learn quickly, but she’s at an age where leaving her friends behind is a source of heartache. And even if Mr Husband and I speak the language it’ll still be a huge cultural change for us. This was an crucial decision for our family that we had discussed endlessly with Mr Husband last year. There were so many pros and cons but now that we’re at the finishing line I’m over-the-top excited to embark on this journey!

As for now, we’re really busy with organizing the relocation. There’re a zillion things on our to-do-list every day. A minor detail among all things on my mind is to empty my pantry as I hate wasting food. I’m on a quest to use up as many ingredients as possible in the following few weeks and as a result you’ll certainly be seeing recipes here on the blog that reflect this cleaning process. So without further ado, here is part I of my pantry cleaning project : black bean brownies.

For a long time I’ve been eyeing these flourless vegetable desserts that are everywhere on Pinterest and now that I’m faced with several bags of dry beans to use up I thought I’d finally give this a try. If you can buy certified gluten-free oats then you’ll end up with flourless, gluten-free, egg-free brownies that are moist, chocolaty and really quick to prepare. You’ll need a food processor for this recipe (I’m not sure a blender would do the job). I cannot find really good quality dark chocolate chips here so I pumped up my brownies with walnuts, pecans and some very dark chocolate bits.

I’m not trying to tell you these brownies are calorie-free just because they’re glorified as a healthy dessert. There’s still sugar inside. But if you’re watching the nutritional content of your food these brownies will cut the deal: all wholesome ingredients made from scratch without the artificial additives or flavorings. Plus done in a couple of minutes with minimum cleanup, I assure you, I’ll be making these not only when the pantry needs cleaning.

And if you’re wondering about our destination, I’ll tell you more about that in my next post. In the meantime, happy baking! And let me know what you think of the recipe!

What you’ll need for about 16 brownies:

250g black beans (after draining)

55g quick oats (try to buy certified gluten-free)

15g good quality dark cocoa powder

¼ tsp salt

40g melted coconut oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

100ml maple syrup

a large handful of crushed walnuts, pecans and good quality dark chocolate pieces (about 120g)

If using beans from a can rinse well then drain. If using dry beans you should soak them the night before then cook them in water for about 45 minutes with a teaspoon of baking soda in the water.

To make quick oats simply pulse oats in your food processor for a couple of seconds.

Then add the remaining items in your food processor: beans, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Puree really well until smooth and creamy. Finally add most of the nuts and chocolate chips and pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining toppings. Bake for about 20 minutes or until top and edges are dry. Let it cool before cutting. You can store them in an airtight container for a few days. (That is, if any remains to be stored.)